Waist ejection mechanism applied to electric bed and electric bed comprising same

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are a waist ejection mechanism applied to an electric bed and an electric bed including the waist ejection mechanism. The waist ejection mechanism includes: a base, which includes a plurality of fixing portions for fixing the base to a bed plank of the electric bed; an adjustment element, which includes a body disposed movably in the base and revolvable on its own axis during its movement, the body including an extension arm extending upward from the base; a connecting rod, which is hinged at one end thereof to the base and is hinged at the other end thereof to the extension arm; and a waist ejection rod, which is connected to the extension arm of the adjustment element.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation Application of PCT Application No. PCT/CN2017/091197 filed on Jun. 30, 2017, which claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201610775703.0 filed on Aug. 31, 2016. All the above are hereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The present disclosure relates to a waist ejection mechanism applied to an electric bed and an electric bed comprising the same.

BACKGROUND OF THE TECHNOLOGY

The design of providing a waist ejection mechanism in an electric bed can widen the adjustable range of the electric bed, so that the electric bed can satisfy needs of some particular groups of people suffering from waist discomfort and injuries.

An existing waist ejection mechanism usually ejects a waist bed plank directly by means of a drive motor, or ejects a waist bed plank by means of a transmission element that is driven by a drive motor. This kind of design, however, requires that a hinge portion used for hinging the drive motor thereto have a high strength. This is particularly true when a user lies on one side of a bed plank, the hinge portion experiences a torque from the side on which the user lies, which can easily lead to fracturing or bending of a drive end of the drive motor.

Because of the above, the existing waist ejection mechanisms may easily be affected by the torque and thus have a shortened service life.

In addition, when a waist bed plank is ejected by an existing waist ejection mechanism, a height to which the waist bed plank is ejected is restricted by a width of the waist bed plank, and during the ejection the waist ejection mechanism may rub against the bed plank.

For this reason, the existing waist ejection mechanisms have limitations in their structural designs. The waist ejection mechanism cannot be well arranged close to the waist of a user, and meanwhile it can easily cause abrasion to the bed plank.

SUMMARY

It shall be noted that the objective of the present disclosure is to overcome one or more of the known defects as described above.

In order to achieve the aforesaid objective, the present disclosure provides a waist ejection mechanism applied to an electric bed. The waist ejection mechanism is capable of evenly distributing a pressure exerted thereon whichever side of a bed plank a user lies on, thereby preventing a part of the waist ejection mechanism especially the part thereof driven by a drive motor from undergoing a too large torque, and thus increasing the service life of the waist ejection mechanism. Besides, by improving the structural design, the waist ejection mechanism can be disposed closer to the waist of the user, and meanwhile can move proximately straight upward and straight downward, which is helpful in protecting a mattress. The waist ejection mechanism may be achieved by the following technical solutions.

A waist ejection mechanism applied to an electric bed provided by the present disclosure comprises: a base, which comprises a plurality of fixing portions for fixing the base to a bed plank of the electric bed; an adjustment element, which comprises a body disposed movably in the base and revolvable on its own axis during its movement, the body comprising an extension arm extending upward from the base; a connecting rod, which is hinged at one end thereof to the base and is hinged at the other end thereof to the extension arm; and a waist ejection rod, which is connected to the extension arm of the adjustment element.

By providing the base, structures in the waist ejection mechanism capable of distributing the pressure can be further strengthened, and the pressure exerted on each of the structures can be reduced. This may help to distribute the pressure evenly onto the entire waist ejection mechanism. The extension arm of the adjustment element is connected to the waist ejection rod, in which case, the position of the waist ejection rod can be adjusted by adjusting the movement and rotation of the adjustment element, thereby realizing the function of waist ejection. In the meantime, the waist ejection rod is connected to the extension arm, and therefore an ejection height is no longer restricted by a waist bed plank. The ejection height can be increased by providing a longer extension arm so that the ejection height can be closer to the waist of the user.

The waist ejection mechanism of the present disclosure may further comprise one or more of the following features.

In one embodiment, the connecting rod is hinged to the extension arm at a position of the extension arm located between ⅓ of a total length of the extension arm and ⅔ of the total length of the extension arm. In this way, by means of the movement of the adjustment element and the rotation movement of the connecting rods, the waist ejection rod can be enabled to move proximately straight upward and straight downward, which is more helpful in protecting the mattress.

In one embodiment, the connecting rod has a length that is between ⅓ of a total length of the extension arm and ⅔ of the total length of the extension arm. Thus, by way of the movement of the adjustment element and the rotation movement of the connecting rods, the waist ejection rod can be enabled to move proximately straight upward and straight downward, which is more helpful in protecting the mattress. In one embodiment, extension arms are provided in pairs. This can help to distribute the pressure onto the adjustment element and further distribute the pressure onto the base through the adjustment element.

Further, the waist ejection mechanism comprises connecting rods that are provided in pairs, each of the connecting rods being hinged at one end thereof to the base and is hinged at the other end thereof to a corresponding extension arm thereof.

In one embodiment, the body of the adjustment element further comprises a lug for hinging a drive motor. By doing this, the drive motor can be used to drive the adjustment element to move relative to the base. The lug is disposed downward from the base.

In one embodiment, the base comprises a pair of parallel guide rails, and the body of the adjustment element is provided at two ends thereof with moving elements suitable for moving in the guide rails, the moving elements being wheels, bearings, or slideways. This helps to improve the flexibility of movement of the adjustment element relative to the base and meanwhile reduce noise during the movement.

Further, the body of the adjustment element is provided at the two ends thereof with flange elements, and the moving elements are disposed outside the flange elements. This may prevent the body of the adjustment element from coming off the parallel rails of the base.

In one embodiment, the waist ejection rod further comprises a sleeve suitable for surrounding the extension arm from outside. This may contribute to the connecting strength and reliability between the waist ejection rod and the extension arm and prevent the waist ejection rod from being separated from the extension arm.

The present disclosure further provides an electric bed comprising the waist ejection mechanism according to any of the foregoing embodiments. The electric bed further comprises a bed plank for fixing the waist ejection mechanism thereon, the bed plank being provided with an opening for an extension arm of the waist ejection mechanism to pass through.

The electric bed comprising the waist ejection mechanism designed as such have a longer service life. The structure of the electric bed is further improved, and the ejection height can be enabled to be closer to the waist of the user. Meanwhile, a proximately straight upward and downward movement can be realized, which can contribute to the protection of the mattress.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

It shall be appreciated that in the present disclosure, unless apparent contradictions or incompatibility exist, all the features, variations, and/or specific embodiments may be combined with one another in a number of ways.

Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become self-evident by reading the following specifically described nonrestrictive embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a waist ejection mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an electric bed comprising the waist ejection mechanism of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

It shall be appreciated that the abovementioned drawings are not drawn to actual scale, and they are merely diagrams of a number of preferred features for illustrating principles of the present disclosure. The design features, such as size, directions, orientations, and shapes disclosed in the present disclosure shall depend on specific applications and service environments.

The present disclosure will be illustrated in detail below in conjunction with the embodiments and the accompanying drawings. In these drawings, same reference numbers indicate same or equivalent components of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, the present disclosure, at one aspect thereof, relates to a waist ejection mechanism 1 applied to an electric bed, the waist ejection mechanism 1 comprising a base 2, an adjustment element 3, a pair of connecting rods 5, and a waist ejection rod 4.

The base 2 in the present embodiment is a rectangular frame structure made of a profiled material, and it may also have other shapes. The base 2 comprises a plurality of fixing portions 21 at a periphery thereof. In the present embodiment, provided are four fixing portions. The fixing portions 21 are connected to the periphery of the base 2 by, for example, welding. The fixing portions are provided at surfaces thereof with through-holes, so that the fixing portions may be fixed in a bed plank of an electric bed by means of bolts.

More specifically, the base 2 comprises a pair of parallel guide rails 22. The two parallel guide rails 22 are connected to each other through two transverse beams 23, by way of which a rectangular frame structure is formed. In the present embodiment, the fixing portions 21 are provided at outer surfaces 220 of the pair of parallel guide rails 22. Each of the guide rails is provided with two fixing portions 21. Each of the fixing portions 21 comprises a first connecting portion 210 that is attached to the outer surface 220 of the guide rail and a second connecting portion 211 that is to be fixed in the bed plank of the electric bed through the bolt. The second connecting portion 211 is provided at a surface thereof with a through-hole 212.

The adjustment element 3 has a cylindrical body 30. The cylindrical body 30 is provided at a cylindrical outer surface thereof with a lug 32 and a pair of extension arms 31. The lug 32 is disposed downward from the base 2, and the extension arms are disposed upward from the base 2. The extension arms 31 provided may be more than one pair. The lug 32 is used to hinge a drive motor thereto, so that the lug can be driven by the drive motor to push the body 30 of the adjustment element 3 to move relative to the base 2.

More specifically, the body 30 of the adjustment element 3 is disposed in the parallel guide rails 22 of the base 2, and is movable in the parallel rails when driven by the drive motor to be hinged to the lug 32. Preferably, the body 30 is provided at two ends thereof with moving elements, such as wheels 33, bearings, or sliding blocks, so that the body 30 can move in the parallel rails 22 in a better way. The body 30 is further provided at the two ends thereof with flange elements 34. In the present embodiment, the flange elements 34 each have a round cross section, and each have a diameter larger than a width of the guide rails 22, by way of which the body 30 of the adjustment element 3 can be prevented from departing from the parallel guide rails 22.

Provided is a pair of connecting rods 5. The number of the connected rods may vary with the number of the extension arms 31, and should be equal to the number of the extension arms 31. A first end of each connecting rod 5 is connected to the base 2 at a first hinge shaft X, and a second end thereof opposite to the first end is connected to an extension part of a corresponding extension arm 31 thereof.

More specifically, when the drive motor drives the lug 32 and thus enables the body 30 of the adjustment element 3 to move in the parallel guide rails 22, each connecting rod 5 rotates around the first hinge shaft X with the variation of a position of the extension arm 31 to which the connecting rod is hinged, and drives the extension arm 31 to rotate. In the meantime, the body 30 of the adjustment element 3 revolves on its own axis with the rotation of the extension arm 31, by means of which a height of the waist ejection rod 4 in a vertical direction can be adjusted.

More specifically, each of the connecting rods 5 is hinged to its corresponding extension arm 31 at a position of the extension arm 31 located between ⅓ of a total length of the extension arm 31 and ⅔ of the total length of the extension arm 31. Thus, by means of the movement of the adjustment element 3 and the rotation movement of the connecting rods 5, the waist ejection rod 4 is enabled to move proximately straight upward and straight downward, which is more helpful in protecting a mattress.

Alternatively, each of the connecting rods 5 has a length that is between ⅓ of a total length of its corresponding extension arm 31 and ⅔ of the total length of the corresponding extension arm 31. In this way, by means of the movement of the adjustment element 3 and the rotation movement of the connecting rods 5, the waist ejection rod 4 is enabled to move proximately straight upward and straight downward, which is more helpful in protecting the mattress.

The waist ejection rod 4 is connected with each of the extension arms 31. In the present embodiment, the waist ejection rod 4 further comprises an equal number of sleeves 41 to the extension arms 31. Each of the sleeves 41 surrounds a corresponding extension arm 31 from outside, and is provided at an outer surface thereof with a through-hole into which a screw may be pressed and tightened to fasten the waist ejection rod 4 and the extension arm 31 together.

Referring to FIG. 2, the present disclosure, at another aspect, relates to an electric bed 100 comprising the aforesaid waist ejection mechanism 1, the electric bed 100 comprising a plurality of bed planks, and a drive motor 8 for driving the waist ejection mechanism. The waist ejection mechanism 1 is arranged on a bottom surface of one of the bed planks. More specifically, the bed plank on which the waist ejection mechanism 1 is arranged is provided with an opening 101 through which the extension arm of the waist ejection mechanism can pass, and the waist ejection rod of the waist ejection mechanism projects from the bottom surface of the bed plank.

Because the waist ejection mechanism 1 arranged in the electric bed 100 has a base, when the waist ejection rod undergoes a pressure from a user lying on the electric bed 100, the pressure can be distributed evenly onto the base and further distributed onto the bed plank to which the base is connected, and therefore does not generate a torque in the waist ejection mechanism 1. This avoids the risk of damaging the lug on the waist ejection mechanism that is connected with the drive motor. Besides, by adjusting a length of the extension arm, an ejection height of the waist ejection mechanism can be adjusted, so that the waist ejection mechanism can be provided closer to the waist of the user. Furthermore, by adjusting a ratio of the length of the connecting rod to the length of the extension arm and adjusting a position of a hinge point, the waist ejection rod can be enabled to proximately move straight upward and straight downward, which is more helpful in protecting the mattress.

The above embodiments serve only as examples and are not used to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Those skilled persons in the art may expect other implementing modes capable of achieving same functions based on the above embodiments and within the protection scope of the present disclosure.

Those skilled persons in the art may master different embodiments, variations, and improvements. In particular, it shall be noted that unless apparent contradictions or incompatibility exist, the above features, variations, and/or specific embodiments of the present disclosure may be combined with one another. All these embodiments and variations as well as improvements shall fall within the protection scope of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A waist ejection mechanism applied to an electric bed, wherein the waist ejection mechanism comprises: a base, which comprises a plurality of fixing portions for fixing the base to a bed plank of the electric bed; an adjustment element, which comprises a body disposed movably in the base and revolvable on its own axis during its movement, the body comprising an extension arm extending upward from the base; a connecting rod, which is hinged at one end thereof to the base and is hinged at the other end thereof to the extension arm; and a waist ejection rod, which is connected to the extension arm of the adjustment element.
 2. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rod is hinged to the extension arm at a position of the extension arm located between ⅓ of a total length of the extension arm and ⅔ of the total length of the extension arm.
 3. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the connecting rod has a length that is between ⅓ of a total length of the extension arm and ⅔ of the total length of the extension arm.
 4. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein extension arms are provided in pairs.
 5. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 4, further comprising connecting rods that are provided in pairs, each of the connecting rods being hinged at one end thereof to the base and is hinged at the other end thereof to a corresponding extension arm thereof.
 6. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the body of the adjustment element further comprises a lug for hinging a drive motor, the lug being disposed downward from the base.
 7. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the base comprises a pair of parallel guide rails, and the body of the adjustment element is provided at two ends thereof with moving elements suitable for moving in the guide rails, the moving elements being wheels, bearings, or slideways.
 8. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 7, wherein the body of the adjustment element is further provided at the two ends thereof with flange elements, and the moving elements are disposed outside the flange elements.
 9. The waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the waist ejection rod further comprises a sleeve suitable for surrounding the extension arm from outside.
 10. An electric bed comprising the waist ejection mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the electric bed further comprises a bed plank for fixing the waist ejection mechanism thereon, the bed plank being provided with an opening for an extension arm of the waist ejection mechanism to pass through. 